Prayer for the Evening
Vigil of the Epiphany of the Lord
Let us come before the Lord with worship and praise!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!
HYMN
They lookèd up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
R/Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël,
Born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went. R/
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay. R/
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there, in his presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense. R/
CANTICLE OF ISAIAH 26:1-4, 7-9
Raise your eyes and look about;/ they all gather and come to you. (Is 60:4)
For reasons no story records, the Magi longed to see the Promised One. Just Gentiles, they sought him in a royal palace but found him in Bethlehem, the small and unpretentious City of David. There they recognized and worshiped him. Let us not overlook him in the unlikely corners of the ordinary.
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:
“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”
Trust in the Lord for ever!
For the Lord is an eternal Rock.
The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O Lord,
we look to you;
your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
when your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world’s inhabitants learn justice.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God (Isaiah 2:3-4)
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,/ to the house of the God of Jacob,/ That he may instruct us in his ways,/ and we may walk in his paths.”/ For from Zion shall go forth instruction,/ and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem./ He shall judge between the nations,/ and impose terms on many peoples./ They shall beat their swords into plowshares/ and their spears into pruning hooks;/ One nation shall not raise the sword against another,/ nor shall they train for war again.
Before you they shall fall prostrate,/ saying in prayer:/ “With you only is God, and nowhere else.” (Is 45:14)
TE DEUM
I see him, though not now;/ I behold him, though not near:/ A star shall advance from Jacob. (Nm 24:17)
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
INTERCESSIONS
Bowing low before the Lord, we pray:
R/You alone are Lord.
You were adored by the Magi and rejected by kings:
– we worship you, O Lord. R/
You were seen by the shepherds and hidden from the powerful:
– we worship you, O Lord. R/
You were laid in a wooden manger and nailed to a wooden cross:
– we worship you, O Lord. R/
You were born in humility and raised to glory:
– we worship you, O Lord. R/
Personal intentions
Our Father….
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (cf. Rom 15:13)
Marian Antiphon
Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, January 1
The root of Jesse has budded,
a star has arisen from Jacob;
a Virgin has brought forth the Savior;
we praise you, our God.
Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli
porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,
natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore
sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.
Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,
yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,
have pity on us, poor sinners.
V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, O most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
